2015AbbatucciFriasRouge2015 Domaine Comte Abbatucci, Sciaccarellu, Rouge Frais Imperial, Corsica.
The young and lush Rouge Frais Imperial from Domaine Comte Abbatucci is an all biodynamic wine made from 100% Sciaccarellu, a native grape that originally came from Tuscany where it is still found though rare, known as Mammolo it was once in many Chiantis and in Vin Nobile and was thought to have been brought to Corsica by the Etruscans, along with the more famous Sangiovese that has now become Niellucciu. The new Abbatucci Rouge Frais Imperial is bright with red fruits, hints of violets and balanced with savory mineral, spice and earth notes to contrast with red cherry, plum and mountain berry fruits that fill the medium-full palate. This pure Sciaccarellu certainly delivers fine drinking pleasure with silken texture, ripe tannins and nice fresh acidity, it has everything for your needs in a fairly direct red that provides enjoyment of terroir and does not need much in the way of time or air to get going in a fun way. This wine can deal with lots of food options and cuisine, it’s focus makes it happy with meat, spicy dishes and hard cheeses, especially sheep cheese, it would make an excellent choice with outdoor meals, BBQ’s and grilling on the deck. You could even put a slight chill on it for warm afternoon picnics. Domaine Comte Abbatucci has a stunning array of wines, and they seem to get better and more complex as I taste each vintage, sometimes I get a bit concerned with the pricing, but the quality is always there throughout the range, especially in this red and the Rose bottlings. Kermit Lynch’s collection of Corsican wines are the elite of the Island with Abbatucci, Leccia and Canarelli leading the way, you should continue to explore these wines or start to, as they really are intriguing examples.
($28 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

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